Loading three chambers at a time balances the loading process nicely. Ram the balls home after installing cylinder in revolver.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 03:54 PM

So what happens if you need the balls inserted further into the cylinder?
I'll tell you. You will be out of luck. :confused:

zippy13

January 2, 2011, 04:02 PM

+1 on junkman_01's comment

Greetings Smokin'Joe, and welcome aboard

You're not the first to suggest a 6-at-once screw type cylinder loader. The main problem with this type of loader is you don't get to feel that each ball is well seated. Also, with your specific tool, the balls are set tangent to the face of the cylinder, you have no way of knowing if they are seated against the powder. Voids above the powder are to be avoided else you may have pressure problems.

Doc Hoy was working on screw type loaders with six individual rams that allow the balls to be set below the face of the cylinder. You might do a search for his latest loader posting.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 04:12 PM

Ram the balls home after installing cylinder in revolver.

After looking at the post again, I see I missed that part. This device is a ball 'starter'. This system will work to start the balls and then finish the job on the gun even with the lesser leverage of a 'Sheriff's' model loading lever.

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 04:23 PM

Seems like a pair of gloves or a glove to lessen wear on hand would be a much speedier process.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 04:28 PM

...but a lot harder on the gun.

g.willikers

January 2, 2011, 04:40 PM

Yeah, use this for starting the balls in, and finish with the lever.
Lots easier on the old hands and the gun.
It shouldn't be too hard to add some kind of adapter to seat the balls deeper.

sewerman

January 2, 2011, 04:55 PM

very nice ...simple and like pressing in races of a bearing or a seal.

makes me feel dumb not having thought of this one myself.

great job!!

thanx for sharing.

S.M.

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 05:22 PM

...but a lot harder on the gun.

I don't really see how. Harder on the hand yes.

McPhee

January 2, 2011, 05:30 PM

Nice job and good photos. Simple device that would not cost much. Perhaps the bolt could be welded to a metal plate where only one wrench would be needed to squeeze the balls down? And with a vertical cylinder then the powder would not fall out. Fill three and squeeze in the balls and fill three more. I just ordered a spare cylinder for my 1858 Remington so I may have to try this device.

Thanks for sharing.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 05:32 PM

I don't really see how. Harder on the hand yes.

You are a very contrary cuss. It's because with less leverage it is harder to load a ball on the gun with a short loading lever.

joe sixgun

January 2, 2011, 06:00 PM

that is sweet. thanks for sharing.

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 06:10 PM

You are a very contrary cuss.

That's true.

It's because with less leverage it is harder to load a ball on the gun with a short loading lever.

I agree but I don't see how it's harder on the gun. If the lever was longer would it not be just as hard on it?

zippy13

January 2, 2011, 06:25 PM

I agree but I don't see how it's harder on the gun. If the lever was longer would it not be just as hard on it?

Hawg,

I read the Junkman's comment several times. He doesn't mean the gun is subjected to an increased load. Harder on the gun, was to mean, more difficult with the cylinder mounted than in the press. ;)

zippy13

January 2, 2011, 06:41 PM

Smokin' Joe

Oops… sorry!
Like junkman 01, I overlooked the part about your tool being a ball starter, too. It seems we were both guilty of underestimating a newbie. Please, keep up the good work and keep on sharing your ideas.

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 06:44 PM

I read the Junkman's comment several times. He doesn't mean the gun is subjected to an increased load. Harder on the gun, was to mean, more difficult with the cylinder mounted than in the press.

D'OH :o never mind:D

Smokin'Joe

January 2, 2011, 06:47 PM

Greetings Smokin'Joe, and welcome aboard

Thanks zippy13. Lots of good info on this site.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 07:34 PM

I read the Junkman's comment several times. He doesn't mean the gun is subjected to an increased load. Harder on the gun, was to mean, more difficult with the cylinder mounted than in the press.

zippy13,

Thank you very much. That is exactly what I meant. I suppose I could have made is clearer, huh?

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 07:39 PM

I suppose I could have made is clearer, huh?

Sometimes written words don't come across like you mean them. I read it to mean one thing and you meant something else. It's all on me.

junkman_01

January 2, 2011, 07:45 PM

We are both 'contrary cusses' :D

kwhi43@kc.rr.com

January 2, 2011, 07:54 PM

And I thought I had seen it all.

Hawg

January 2, 2011, 09:14 PM

And I thought I had seen it all.

Oh, you ain't seen nuthin yet.:D

bedbugbilly

January 2, 2011, 09:22 PM

A real interesting device - thanks for the great photos.
I'm curous if you "lube" over your balls? If so, this would add another step after you install the cylinder and do the final seating of the balls. My only concern with using something likd this is that I might "forget" to seat the balls once I'd changed cylinders. I'm not being critical here . . I'm thinking about myself and how sometimes I could get distracted and forget to do it. I think they call it "senility"? :D I understand your concept of using it as a "ball starter" and it looks like it would be slick for that. I'm wondering if you have a "regular" load that you use, could you measure from the seated ball to the face of the cylinder and then put cupped metal dowels, slightly smaller in diameter than the cylinder bores and slightly longer than the measurement from the ball to the cylinder face? I would think that you would "develop" a feel for when the balls were seated tight to the powder. I know that I am able to "feel" when the ball is seated when loading my revolvers. I also know though, that a short barrel with a short rammer can be very hard on the hands. I used to have a brass framed Navy Arms .36 round barrel sheriff type pistol that was hard on the hands when using the loading lever. I used to carry a short section of conduit to slide over it for added leverage.

Thanks again for the great post and photos and welcome to the forum! I hope you'll keep us updated on how this device is working for you and any improvements you might add! Thanks again! :)

Sarge

January 2, 2011, 09:33 PM

I think Josey Wales uses one of those in the Bollywood version.

kwhi43@kc.rr.com

January 2, 2011, 10:10 PM

Except his wrench had a rachet!

Smokin'Joe

January 2, 2011, 10:32 PM

Thanks again for the great post and photos and welcome to the forum!

Thanks, bedbugbilly

arcticap

January 3, 2011, 03:46 AM

That's a neat device. :)
Dropping in the correct amount of filler or wads should allow the balls to be properly seated.

darkgael

January 3, 2011, 06:40 AM

Thanks for the idea and the fine pictures.
Proper depth:
It should be a simple matter to install a series of studs on the cylinder ring that would seat the balls deeper than the cylinder mouth...... Or load in a couple of Wonder Wads.
Pete